The walls of Clara’s big girl room are dry and the few items of furniture that we have (mainly just a daybed, an old side table, and two small wooden thrift store chairs that I don’t think we’ve even shown you yet) are back in the room. So here’s how it’s looking now:
Totally done and magazine ready, right? Just kidding. But it’s a huge improvement from this so we’re psyched.
The new wall color is awesome. Pardon these not great pics of it (Monday’s pics did it more justice). In person it’s subtle and warm and cozy but not too yellow-y or peach. And since it’s not too bold or compete-y, it’ll allow us to layer in a ton of other colors. Highly recommend it.
Oh but since the title says something about table tweaks, here’s the scoop on that. Wait, first a little info on the chairs. We got them for $8 each at a thrift store in West Virginia on our way back from redoing Granny’s bathroom way back in September. Then we just tossed them into the cluttered playroom and hoped we’d see them again someday. Haha. Now that it’s all cleaned out, it’s like discovering an extra room in your house. Amazing. Anyway, I think we’ll paint the chairs a crazy bright color (red?!) and keep the table crisp and white.
Speaking of the table, remember when it used to be a side table in our first house‘s den?
It was actually a side table from Target that we tweaked by adding a larger top and then painted white a few years back (originally for our bedroom, then it moved into the den once we found a TJ Maxx ottoman that worked better in the bedroom).
It actually hasn’t found a home in the over-two-years that we’ve lived in our current house, so the poor thing has just been sitting randomly in the corner of the sunroom or the basement. Poor little listless side table. Until now. We realized that thanks to those two thrift store kids chairs the table would make a cute little spot for those chairs to saddle up to, but it was too tall to work as-is. See how it towers over the other kid-sized table that we made for the living room here?
Well, it was nothing a little sawing couldn’t solve. After unsuccessfully finding any screws to free up and remove the stem from the top, John sawed it off with a reciprocating saw and then went back with his Dremel to clean up the part we’d be attaching it back to later (so it was nice and level).
Trimming the 4-inches off of the stem proved challenging given the angle of the base. John’s first attempt looked something like this. He’s the first to admit that it wasn’t his finest work.
Especially since it resulted in a not-so-level cut.
So he went back, remarked a level cut line around the stem on all sides, and then carefully shaved it down a bit more with his Dremel, being careful to stick to that line on all sides as he went.
Much better. But it was about a 1/4″ shorter than we originally intended. So we had to throw it away. Just kidding, that quarter of an inch doesn’t matter, thank goodness.
With everything cut, he used his Kreg jig to make some pocket holes to reattach the stem to the base. Sure the pockets show a bit, but it’s so far under the table base that you won’t see them unless you’re under the table on the floor (Clara does that sometimes, but we don’t think she’ll mind ’em, haha).
Now it’s nearly the same height as Clara’s drawing desk in the living room, see? (Note that this shot was taken while laying on the floor, so you can barely see those little pocket holes).
Now Clara will have a table for coloring/play doh/dolls/Gin Rummy in her room with her two thrift store chairs (which I fully intend to paint bright red as of right now, but you never know when I’ll change my mind).
So that’s what we’ve been up to in Clara’s big girl room. I’d call it 7% finished. Haha.
The blanket is my favorite (from a Joss & Main sale about a month or two ago). And the two tie-dye-ish pillows are from West Elm. I want to add more pillows of course (wouldn’t navy look cool on there too?).
Oh and the pink C pillow was from the same Joss & Main sale as the blanket. Isn’t it cute? Clara is OBSESSED with her big girl bed. The doc said not to switch her until she’s uncomfortable in her crib or climbing out of it (the girl climbs into it but never out – go figure!) so we’re happy to keep her contained to her crib where she happily snoozes… but man oh man, she sure looks cute in this bed. And someday she’ll get to officially move in.
Until then it’s a pretty fun playroom…
… which beats the heck out of the junk-room that it has been for the last two years by a long shot. She says hanging her head in shame. Oh well, better late than never.
We’re still sorely missing some major elements in here, so here’s what’s on the agenda:
- painting those chairs a bright happy color
- bringing in a dresser (we’d love to find something secondhand)
- making/hanging some curtains
- adding a rug
- hanging art on the walls along with a few other 3D objects that we have in mind (how’s that for cryptic?)
- installing a new light fixture
- hanging a mirror at Clara-height somewhere in the room (she loves making funny faces and laughing at herself)
- turning that junk closet into an actual clothes closet/reading nook
- adding crown molding (along with tackling the other un-crown-molding-ed bedrooms on this side of the house)
- adding accessories like more pillows, storage bins for toys, etc
You know we’ll keep you posted as we inch along! What are you guys painting, tweaking, and cutting down these days? Anyone else finding thrift store chairs or converting old Target tables? Spill it.
Lizzy says
Kids always look so tiny when they switch to big girl/boy beds. Also? They look like big, germ-y monsters when you bring home a new baby!
I think the chairs would look amazing painted a shiny, navy blue; they’d match the navy pillows on her bed. Too cute.
Koliti says
Love a post that includes John using his reciprocating saw, Dremel, and Kreg Jig – and the Dremel moves in for the final score! Nice table tweak!
Those hole plugs sound ok…but if you have some of that fun pom-pom trim – that would look awesome around that underneath table-top rim!
What a FUN transformation! I love seeing you guys work your “magic” with things that are doable for all of us – purge, paint, use what you have in new and fresh ways, and add fun bursts of color. And what do you get for all of your hard work? A happy Clara jumping bean! YAY!!!
(Maybe for Clara to start taking naps in her Big Girl Room, she’ll need some black-out drapes first.)
YoungHouseLove says
Love that pom pom trim idea!
xo
s
Susan says
Don’t be surprised is she is suddenly uncomfortable in her crib the first night after you finish her room. We thought it would take all of our kids ages to transition and we’re now four for four on us saying, “This will be your new big kid bed,” and having them start sleeping in it that night!
YoungHouseLove says
No way!
xo
s
Jaime says
This makes me feel so much better about myself since it took you guys as long as it did to finally clear out your extra room! We have lived in our place for 15 months and have yet to clear out ours, although we have a baby due in March so that is finally forcing us to get er done, since really, we dont have a choice, haha!! We rent so we wont be able to do any painting or anything, just get our junk out and baby stuff in.
I LOVE what you are doing to the room, by the way. We have neutral walls and I was initially DREADING the inevitable pink over load (we are having a girl) but you guys are showing me that a pink room can be done and not look like a Disney princess/saccharin sweet over the top pink bomb went off in the room! Haha!! Your room looks so cute and doesn’t make me want to cringe from all the pink! ;) Cant wait to see how this progresses!
adele says
Didn’t get to see you on your tour — no stops in Montreal — but I just ordered your book from ChopSuey! They were so nice and not at all weirded out by my enthusiasm. Soooo excited!! :D
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Adele! They rock over there!
xo
s
Kasey M. says
Ages ago you guys recommended hanging the your shower curtain close to the ceiling in small bathrooms to make them seem larger. Our apartment bathroom is tiny but with a night high ceiling so I ordered a long white curtain on amazon and finally got it hung last night (with HB’s help, my 5’1 self couldn’t reach to put the bar up even standing on a chair). AMAZING transformation for less than $30. And I was so pleased with myself. Thanks for the idea guys!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad! That’s still one of our favorite tricks! The whole room feels different and awesomely taller :)
xo
s
MrsG says
I’d do red chairs with maybe a stencils of that taupe/gray-ish color from the bedspread on it Maybe a chevron on the backrest? I’m a ham for a chevron!
Lauren says
I love Clara’s new room … but what are you planning to do if, one day, Clara decides she wants her room decorated in some gaudy, bright cartoon wallpaper? My daughter Penelope is only 18 months, but already she’s running up to the Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty wallpaper in the DIY store and kissing it! I’m not sure how long she’s going to be happy with her beautiful nursery room when she discovers that you can buy it ….
YoungHouseLove says
We always want to represent Clara’s interests in her space, right now she loves certain animals and certain colors, so they’ll be in there along with art she has painted, etc. So if she loves Toy Story stuff, we’d be happy to get her some art of that or a blanket or toy of that to bring into the room- might not wallpaper the walls with that wallpaper though because she could change her mind again. So more easily changed items like accessories might be better. Haha!
xo
s
jeannette says
what a darling girl (dogwood tree quote, that smile!). she’s really her own person now — actually, they all are, from the minute they’re here — her own little self just shines. good work, guys. xxx
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jeannette!
xo
s
Nichole K says
I love the pink/red combo. So chic for a big girl room! I’m not a mom yet, but I saw a tip somewhere that I wanted to share. You can shove a pool noodle under the fitted sheet at the edge of a bed to made a soft “rail” for kiddos. I thought it was pretty genius!
YoungHouseLove says
Really smart!
xo
s
Krystle @ ColorTransformedFamily says
Clara’s big girl room is going to be so cute. I love the bold colors and almost more sophisticated palette than her current room.
I’m so glad Clara’s doc isn’t rushing to move her to a big girl bed. Our little one is only 15 months but I was wondering when we should transition her. Some of her friends her age have already switched but I am just in love with her crib and she is too. There will be plenty of time later in life for them to enjoy their big girl beds.
Meg says
I think Navy would look amazing with the other colors. I have a soft spot for Navy Blue, one of my favorite pair with anything bright. We painted our Master Bedroom from blue to cream – I think my husband finally sees the less is more with wall color – it gives us a chance to add texture everywhere else.
redkimba says
Ofergawdssakes, Clara is almost 3! You can put her in the big girl bed already. It’s low to the ground and the fact that it has a back on it has already reduced her chances of falling out by 50%.
What’s really weird is that her pediatrician wants you to wait until she risks a fall from a much greater height before you move her. Of course, I’m all in favor of kids figuring things out but since she looks like she’s already comfortable in the new bed, the doctor’s advice seems a little unnecessary.
It’s your kid and blog though. It’s just that young parents tend to ask for too much advice, and get it, rather than using their own best judgement. You *are* allowed to make your own decisions without risking a visit from Family Services.
YoungHouseLove says
She likes sleeping in her crib, doesn’t have any interest in transitioning right now (especially while we’re traveling so much with the tour), and the doc is on board with leaving her in the crib as well – so it’s really that simple. It works for us :)
xo
s
Sonja C. says
My oldest daughter is turning 11 next month and has asked for a daybed and a room makeover for her birthday. We love the West Elm Windows daybed, so the Mr. will be building that for her. As for the makeover, she wants colorful artwork and accessories. The wall color, however, is holding me back. I love Rainwashed by Sherwin Williams, but the color of Clara’s room is making me re-think the Rainwashed. Alaskan Skies is such a nice soft neutral/backdrop for all the fun colors going in there! Now I’m afraid Rainwashed will be too blue/dark with all the other colors my daughter wants in her room. We’re thinking of painting her desk an emerald green, the bed and quilt will be white with patterned pillows, and the dressers are black. Also thinking of making yellow chevron curtains, and not sure yet on the rug …maybe a blue/green braided rug or black and white stripes or zebra. Hmmmmmm ….what do you think for a fun tween girl’s room?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it all sounds amazing! I would just go one step at a time (don’t paint everything at once, do things slowly over time just to see how you feel as the room comes together). Hope it helps!
xo
s
kyle says
Any thoughts for floor covering?
YoungHouseLove says
New rug, new rug, new rug! No idea what though… I’m hoping we’ll just know when we see it :)
xo
s
Dawn says
We got an awesome old rocking chair from goodwill. I plan to paint it turquoise or some other fun color this summer :)
Sarah J. says
love the little chairs! but if it was me, i would wait to paint them until after getting a rug. just in case the rug was crazy bright, then the chairs might add a nice warm wood tone back to the room (since a rug will cover a good chunk of the wood floors). so excited to watch this room take shape!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’s a down the line step (the bullets at the bottom aren’t in order or anything).
xo
s
Blake says
Hi! Your big girl color scheme immediately made me think of a room I just saw in a Feb 2007 Domino spread on Laura Poole’s Charlotte home. Here’s a link to a pic from someone’s blog–since Domino is no more :(
http://en.paperblog.com/so-i-think-i-can-make-this-316419/
I love pink and red, especially with taupe and black accents!
YoungHouseLove says
So pretty! I love it.
xo
s
AnnieM says
One suggestion when you are getting closer to moving Clara into her big girl bed. Transitioning from not only a crib to a bed, but ALSO a new room all at once can be rough at first. You may want to think about easing the transition by moving her crib into her new room; and then slowly ease her out of her crib into her bed (which should also be in the room, even tho it may be crowded. This way, she is comfortable with the room, the smell, etc. before having to get used to too many new sights, sounds, etc.
I know it’s a pain in the neck to break down a crib only to set it up next door, and then back again for a future newborn, but it may be worth it :)
Love, love the room by the way!!
YoungHouseLove says
Another great tip! Thanks guys :)
xo
s
Emily F. says
So cute! Love the table idea. I have an old plant stand pedestal table that I definitely need to add a top to like that! What a great idea to make it MUCH more functional. We (meaning our contractor) just finished adding over 600 square feet (upstairs and down) to our 1960 ranch. We totally love it but now comes the decorating part. My husband and I have the hardest time agreeing about art/furniture/etc.
Megan B says
My daughter turns 3 in May, and she hasn’t shown any interest in leaving her crib either. We moved our son when he was 2 1/2 because I was pregnant with our daughter and his sleep suffered a bit with the transition–especially at naptime because he wanted to get out of bed and play. My daughter is a big rule follower so I’m less worried about her. We told her not to climb out of her crib because she might hurt herself, and I haven’t seen her even attempt it since then. I’m hoping that when we do move her (probably this spring) she a.) won’t be traumatized and b.) will follow our ‘stay in your bed’ rules! And btw, my daughter is 37 inches tall and is perfectly comfortable in her crib. My pediatrician is fine with her being in there too. I figure it’s safer than having her wander around the house while we’re sleeping!
I am loving your ideas for this room. It’s going to look so great!
Mara says
Ohmygosh, that last picture of Clara jumping on the bed is magical!
Rachel says
I would want that blanket for myself, its awesome! For the chairs I would maybe paint them with red polka dots all over, or something fun like the front sides red and the back sides pink.
Ashley says
Very cute. I really like your brightly painted furniture in the other rooms of your house, but I think those chairs look great in there in their current color. Maybe if I knew your whole vision, I would feel different, but I’m a little sad you are going to paint those.
YoungHouseLove says
Not to worry Ashley, we’re going to get the rug and the curtains and see the room come together a bit more before we jump to doing any chair painting! Who knows where we’ll end up!
xo
s
Brooke says
Wow! Your vision and can-do attitude is amazing. I was just wondering if you had any advice for refinishing an armoire that has as a mirrored back. Would I treat it the same as glass, or would a deglosser damage the mirror if there was drippage?
Thanks
-B
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would tape off the border of the mirror and try to keep deglosser off of the mirror just in case.
xo,
s
Kara says
This is really more of a random thought I had, not related to this post, but maybe one day in the future – you could use some glow in dark paint and paint the underside of the table so when Clara starts doing “campouts” or making forts and whatnot, it would be kinda cool to be under the table with a portable light and turn it on to recharge the glow in dark stuff and turn it off to admire it. Or mix in Borax stuff in paint and use a black light to make it glow.
Or maybe this is all just me thinking that it would be cool. But “shiny” things in the dark? SOLD. Ha!
YoungHouseLove says
Such a fun idea!
xo
s
Tabbitha @ Turnip Tootsie says
Such a cute start to Clara’s big girl room! And man reading this post makes me wonder, if I’m to quick to get rid of/donate/change up my furniture. All it takes is a little imagination and bam you have a completely “new” piece.
<3
Tabbitha
julia says
Love the colors. Who is the manufacturer of the “C” pillow? I LOVE it!! I want to get those for my kids – so cute!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, sorry about that, it says Happy Habitat By Kerry Kaneda on the tag.
xo
s
Anna says
Haha, the room looks SO much bigger without all that clutter! I didn’t even realize how big it was! Looking great so far, can’t wait for the rest of the updates.
Jessica says
I love reading all these posts about Clara’s big girl room. It makes me start to fantasize about my son’s big boy room and he’s only 6 months old! I think I need to cool my jets for a bit! The room is looking great and I can’t wait to see what else you guys come up with!
Kim says
This will be so fun! I’m totally obsessed with this house tour, which is so reminding me of a grown up version of Clara’s big girl room! I’ve seriously pinned this girl’s entire apartment. :) http://theeverygirl.com/feature/nikki-rappaports-washington-d-c-studio-home-tour/
YoungHouseLove says
Off to check it out!
xo
s
Karen Q. says
Adorable! Love the red and pink accents- so bright and cheery! Can’t wait to see the final touches- I know it’ll be fab-u-lous! Wonderful job :)
Megan says
I love the little thrift store chairs! I kind of like them wood. Have you thought about just refinishing them?
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely another possibility! We’ll have to watch the room come together more and see where we end up.
xo
s
Adria says
Hey y’all! Sorry if you have already answered this on another post, but I’m curious how Clara’s current room will change after she moves to her big girl room. Will you keep it as is and wait to change it when Clara has a new brother or sister, or will you change the room in the meantime?
YoungHouseLove says
There definitely are lots of variables (when Clara transfers to a bed, when we have another little one, etc) but we’re thinking it’ll just be a nice little playroom (with everything pretty much as-is) until another bean is coming and then once we find out if it’s a boy or a girl we’ll make tweaks. We’re nowhere near that point though :)
xo
s
Nicole @ Liberty Belles says
wow what a difference removing everything and a little paint can make!
Laura says
Are you guys considering bringing her dresser into the big girl room? If it were me I’d be so sad to say goodbye to that! I know it makes the perfect changing table, so I get keeping it in the nursery. We have a similar sized one for our diaper wearing baby.
I’m going to see you guys on Friday in WA!!! I’m so excited!!! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We’re more excited. Haha! As for the dresser, we think it works best in there as a changing table for possible future baby, so instead of robbing it from there we’d rather just get one for her big girl space without disassembling the nursery (since we hope to use that for another child someday). Especially since I see them super cheap on craigslist all the time so it won’t be an expensive addition- and it’ll make our whole house feel like it’s coming together instead of taking apart one space to complete another :)
xo
s
Elaine says
Are you planning to leave the wood floor as is? If so, I really like the look of those wooden chairs to also stay as-is. It’s a great-looking room already!
YoungHouseLove says
We’re bringing in a nice big area rug for her to play on.
xo,
s
em says
Westelm sent me an email of their new stuff today and I think I found something you must put in Clara’s room- a white ceramic worm! Sherry, it’s important to get her addicted early!
Yes, it’s great to keep her in a crib- my 5 year old would probably still be in her crib today if we did not have to move her to a bed for her baby brother. Unfortunately, that little brother climbed out and broke his arm at 15 months, so we had to move him to a big boy bed (a low platform bed) earlier than anticipated!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry about his arm! Ouch! As for the inch worm I’m in love.
xo
s
Elaine says
lol. Just noticed some others have suggested the same thing. Guess I waited too long to post!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, no worries Elaine :)
xo
s
Rachel says
Navy is going to look way good on that daybed. The table looks great! And yay for Clara being so excited for her big girl bed! And seriously – the kid never crawls out of her crib? That’s awesome! My nephew was a pro at getting out of his, ha. Drove his parents crazy.
Megan Carlisle says
I LOVE the direction you’re headed with Clara’s big girl room! We are mood-boarding (cause that’s a verb, right?!?) for our girls’ combo room. Currently our three and one year olds each have their own room (since their sleeping patterns vary), but once they are both down to “one-afternoon-nap & sleeping-through-the-night” we plan to make the smaller room a bedroom for both girls (with Ikea hacked captain’s beds) and the larger room a play room (with built in shelving and a Murphy bed for the occasional guest). Sooo excited! Our older daughter is asking for colors similar to Clara’s, but where you’re leaning towards pops of navy, we’re looking at plum and white to offset the magenta/orange our little lady loves so much.
Oh! Also – we refinished my childhood dressers for our oldest’s current “big girl” room and wanted something similar for the baby’s nursery…but didn’t find anything we liked in time. We ended up getting a Malm 6 drawer from Ikea in a pinch – and I LOVE it! Just in case you don’t find a fixer-upper dresser I’d suggest at least looking at these! Big, deep drawers, nice runners. I am much happier with this in-a-pinch purchase than I thought I would be!
Have a happy day! Stay Calm & Deco On!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Megan! Sounds awesome. And your girls sounds so sweet, love the plans you have for those rooms :)
xo
s
Kerrie says
Sherry, I thought this might make you giggle but as the daughter of a throw pillow obsessed mom, myself – I grew up to have this strange aversion to them, as a almost 30 year old I only have 1 accent pillow on our master bed. I definitely know it all has to do with growing up and having so many accent pillows everywhere. You’ll have to see what decorating traits Clara inherits.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, no way!! Well she loves to grab my pillows and throw them around, so it could go either way!
xo
s
Ethne @ Wom-Mom says
So fun to have progress in this room for Clara! I am right on board with her color selections.
Diana says
No relation to this post (you know I trust you), but i’ve just found this transformation of a layout very similar to yours. Not saying you should consider it. You know best what’s working for you, be it bathroom or trasition age! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Is there a link here? Don’t see the layout, but I’d love to check it out!
xo
s
Diana says
Oh, sorry, here it is:
http://7thhouseontheleft.com/category/by-room/master-bathroom/
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it’s similar although there doesn’t seem to be a big window over the sink, right? We didn’t want to close that off and lose the light that comes into the bedroom from that side of the house, and it also would have been really long and narrow if we combine it (like 4′ wide by 16′ long) so we thought it would be strange and bowling alley-ish. Who knows where we’ll end up though :)
xo
s
Diana says
Indeed for the light ( I’ve noticed that) and for the alley. It has just surprised me how similar it is.
Take care, Diana
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, and that house is in Richmond Virginia too, isn’t that funny!!
xo
s
karen says
how do you guys steer clear of the ‘dora’ or ‘princess’ bedding? my mom gifted some to my babe and now that’s al li see when i walk into her room.
YoungHouseLove says
We always want to represent Clara’s interests in her space, right now she loves certain animals and certain colors, so they’ll be in there along with art she has painted, etc. So if she loves Toy Story stuff, we’d be happy to get her some art of that or a blanket or toy of that to bring into the room- might not wallpaper the walls with that wallpaper though because she could change her mind again. So more easily changed items like accessories might be better (art, pillows, a toy basket with that on it, etc).
xo
s
decoratica says
Ug, when I was a kid I had a bed full of pillows and hated making it every morning… Well, not at three year old, of course, ok, maybe I was a teenager, but hated it for sure! :)
Cassondra says
Love love the bedspread! Also excited to see the chairs painted and see how Clara puts that little sitting area to use when she starts having friends over!
KELLY says
Hi Guys,
Just letting you know I agree with your keeping Clara in cot /crib until she gets uncomfortable or starts climbing out. You have a good Dr as no one told me to do that and we tried moving our little girl Isabell into a big girls bed when she turned two (as other friends were doing that) and it was a big mistake and our wonderful sleeper turned into a nightmare! Two months later she is back in her cot and back to sleeping 12 hours a night. So there she stays until she is 18!!!
Love your site and love the book.
Stephanie Abbott says
Hi! Would you guys ever consider doing like a big, leaning mirror? I suppose similar to the chalk board you have in the living room? You could paint the wood a fun colour (and thus use cheaper ‘ugly’ wood). That way once she starts sprouting like a bean stalk you won’t have to adjust the “kid” mirror to her hight. Just a thought…love the room!! I can’t believe Clara isn’t crying/dying to spend each night in there.
Take care & best,
Steph
YoungHouseLove says
We have one of those in our bedroom that she loves! Don’t know about fitting another one into her room (it’s pretty bulky) but who knows where we’ll end up!
xo
s
Meleah says
It’s looking great! Your Kreg holes make me jealous. I asked for the kit for Christmas and my hubby got me a tablet instead. Boo.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man, next year!
xo
s